Return to Konoha
by DragonSorceress22
Summary: The long-delayed continuation of "More than Enemies," "One Week Later," "Loose Ends," "Otogakure," and "The Breaking Point." Tsunade is in need of some closure but that's not what she'll find when she returns to Konoha one last time. Rated M for some violence/torture and mild swearing... I think.
1. Chapter 1

_**Return to Konoha**_

_The following story takes place about a week after The Breaking Point._

**Chapter One—News from a Friend**

Orochimaru walked into the room, a look of disgust and anger fixed on his face. A toad was squirming against the firm grip he had around its neck.

"Tsunade, what is _this_ doing here?" Orochimaru asked.

"Hm?" Tsunade turned toward him and he noticed the paper in her hands. "How should I know?" she answered. "I figured he'd leave after he delivered Jiraiya's letter."

"I was on my way out," it croaked. "Honest! So, you know, you could let me go n—geh!"

Orochimaru's hand tensed and the toad's squirming became wilder.

"Oh, let him go," Tsunade said. "I'm sure he won't stick around this time."

Orochimaru considered her request for a few moments. "I hope you understand the position Jiraiya has put you in, toad," Orochimaru said sharply. "Tsunade's presence here is a secret, and if that secret gets out, I won't bother figuring out who is responsible. Very few people know about this. I won't hesitate to kill everyone who does to prevent it from happening again." He dropped the toad and it hit the floor hard.

"See if I take this job again," it groaned, rubbing its throat. "I'm outta here." It vanished with a small _pop_ and a puff of smoke and Tsunade turned her attention back to the letter in her hand.

"Why is Jiraiya sending letters here," Orochimaru asked irritably.

"Relax," Tsunade answered. "I doubt he's planning to make a habit of it."

Orochimaru watched her as she stared down at the letter. The little smile she had as she read frustrated him. Finally, with a light laugh she folded up the letter and looked over at Orochimaru. His severe expression startled her.

"What's wrong?"

"What makes you think he won't make a habit of it?" he asked stiffly.

She immediately recognized his frustration and sighed. "Here." Tsunade handed over the letter and Orochimaru took it. He began to read as she explained. "I asked him for a favor before he left two weeks ago. He was just letting me know how our plan went setting up the new Hokage."

"…Kakashi Hatake," Orochimaru murmured, skimming through the lengthy letter.

"That's right," Tsunade said, her smile returning. "Everything's taken care of."

"Hm," Orochimaru folded the letter and set it on the table. "Does that mean we can put all of this behind us?"

"…Actually," Tsunade began. "I've been meaning to talk to you about something, Orochimaru." She stepped forward and took his hands, looking at them instead of meeting his eyes. "I understand how you feel about this. I know I've been… preoccupied lately, worrying about this, and you just want it to be over, but there's one last thing I want to do."

"What is it, Tsunade?" Orochimaru sighed.

"I want to go to the village one last time…"

Orochimaru's expression went blank with disbelief before anger flashed across his features. Tsunade cut him off before he could speak. "I won't go now," she explained quickly. "I'll wait until things die down. I'll go in disguise. I'll be careful—"

"_Tsunade_," Orochimaru groaned, pulling away from her. "I told you when you were making this decision that it would mean never going back."

"I know, but why shouldn't I? No one will know. It won't be for long. Just a few hours. Just this once. I promise."

"It's _insane_," he hissed. "What could be worth risking discovery like this? What could you possibly be thinking? It would ruin the whole plan—"

"No, it wouldn't," Tsunade snapped. "I'm not going to get caught. And it's important to _me._ I've already made up my mind about this, Orochimaru, and you're not going to change it."

"…Do you plan to go alone?" he asked, glaring at her.

"Yes," she answered curtly.

Orochimaru sighed and turned away from her. "Honestly, Tsunade… when you asked if I would wait for you, I didn't realize you'd make me wait this long."

"That's not fair—!" Tsunade started.

"Tsunade," Orochimaru moved toward her again and pulled her closer with a hand on her waist. "Relax. …When do you want to go?"

"…December," she murmured, not looking at him.

Orochimaru nodded. "That's not for another month and a half. Now," he tilted her chin up so she would look at him again. "I have two requests."

"Requests?" she repeated.

"Demands, really," he amended, smirking. "First is that we go back to my hideout in Otogakure. Tomorrow. Second is that I accompany you at least as far as _this _hideout when you leave to do this."

Tsunade smiled. "I'd like that."


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter Two—Departure**

Tsunade crept out of the bed in the small hideout near Konoha the morning of December fourth before the sun was even up. She was careful not to wake Orochimaru, but she needn't have bothered. They had gone to sleep only an hour or two before, but he was already resting too deeply for the slight movement to disturb him.

She got dressed quickly, putting on the standard issue clothes and armor of an ANBU, but her hand hesitated over the sword. She was going to take it regardless, but it occurred to her that she might need it. Her skill with swords was average at best, but if she was going to keep up appearances, she would need an alternative to her usual fighting style.

_Except I won't be fighting, _she told herself as she put the sword on her back and pulled the plain beige cloak on over it. She picked up the mask and went to the bed, sitting on the edge of it beside Orochimaru. Leaning forward, she kissed his forehead, her fingers brushing lightly through his hair, but still he barely stirred.

"Orochimaru," Tsunade whispered. "Wake up."

Orochimaru's eyes opened slowly and gradually focused on her, but when he saw what she was wearing the daze of sleep vanished and he sat up. "What are you doing?" he demanded.

"I'm heading out now," she told him, still speaking softly. "I'll see you tonight."

"Tsunade—" He grabbed her arm. "Don't go. This is needlessly dangerous."

"Not needlessly…" she murmured, looking away from him.

"Tsunade," he said again, but this time his voice was quiet and edged with urgency. "The way you were acting last night… It felt like you thought you'd never see me again."

"You're imagining things," she said gently.

"No. I'm not," he insisted. "It was different." His hold on her tightened very slightly and Tsunade made the mistake of glancing back to his face. Their eyes met and she was caught in the intensity of his stare.

"All right," she conceded. "It was different, I'll give you that, but that isn't the reason. I'm just ready to put the past behind me, once and for all, so I can be with you—no reservations." Tsunade leaned forward and kissed him, quickly losing herself in the moment as he wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her closer. When she did finally begin to pull away, Orochimaru did not let her go.

"Orochimaru," Tsunade whispered. "That's all it was. Really. Just knowing I'll be with you from now on." She drew back again and slipped out of his hold. As she went to the door, she put on the ANBU mask and transformed herself, taking on the same image she had used the first time she'd snuck into Otogakure to see Orochimaru.

"Do me a favor," she said and Orochimaru frowned at the change of her voice. "Try not to get any work done today. You haven't been sleeping enough. Just get some rest."

Orochimaru shook his head but leaned back into the pillows. Tsunade smiled to herself. "I'll see you later tonight," she said as she closed the door.

"I'll see you soon, Hime," Orochimaru murmured.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter Three—Burial**

The sky was just lightening behind a thick grey cover of clouds as Tsunade reached the main gate of Konoha. A shiver ran through her as she approached, but she doubted the chilled wind was the cause. The gate was closed and she stood, staring up at it, unsure of what it might mean. Then a small movement at the top of the wall caught her eye and she vanished into the trees along the road. From there, she chose a spot further down and snuck into the village over the wall. She was cautious as she made her way through the village, keeping to the rooftops to avoid the few people who were already out opening their shops.

The wind was carrying light flurries of snow when she reached her destination. She approached slowly and stayed in the trees along the edge as she peered out at the rows of graves. As she had hoped, no one seemed to be there so early in the morning, and she stepped out from her cover to walk through the neat lines of headstones. Her feet guided her toward the one most familiar grave without her having to think about it, but she noticed many new graves on her way. As she passed them, she saw that each one was marked with the symbol of an ANBU, and for the second time that day, a feeling of unease shook her. With only slight hesitation, she continued forward until she reached the grave she'd visited so many times before.

Tsunade stood quietly, staring at the engraving, and her hand moved up to hold the crystal for the first time since she'd given it away. The recollection of its absence froze her, but only briefly. Then she relaxed and her hand dropped again to her side. _All of that is gone now, _she thought. _But… I'm happy now_. Tsunade smiled behind the mask. _I can be much happier now._ _I never had your determination or ambition, Nawaki. Not for the same things. I hope you understand._

She stayed there for a while, watching the few snowflakes cling to the smooth stone before reaching out to gently brush them away from the engraving. "Goodbye, Nawaki," she whispered. Then she moved further into the cemetery.

As she walked, Tsunade felt lighter. She had been worried that this last trip into the village would be a difficult experience, but after her time at Nawaki's grave, she no longer felt that concern.

_This isn't a sad thing, _she thought as she came to a stop in front of another headstone. _I'm leaving and it's good, and… _She stared down on the grave. _I don't know if you would understand this, Dan. I supported your dream and you supported mine but… _She sighed. _It's been a long time. I've realized—_

"Heh," Tsunade laughed lightly and shook her head. _Never mind… Dan… I am sorry I couldn't save you… But when I leave, this time I won't be running from your memory. _Tsunade looked down at her hands and for a moment she could hear the rain from that night and feel the blood coating her skin, but the moment passed and the soft silence of the early morning snowfall returned. She looked back at the headstone.

_I just wanted to say goodbye. Properly this time._ _I won't be coming back. Goodbye, Dan. _She turned from the grave and vanished, slipping back into the trees at the cemetery's edge.


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter Four—The Sixth Hokage**

Tsunade felt restless as she wandered through the village, skirting around the busy areas and trying to catch bits of conversations wherever she could, but no one seemed to have anything of consequence to say. After some time, her frustration at this began to tempt her, coaxing her to come out of hiding and find information for herself. She considered this option for a while as she continued walking and suddenly found herself on the edge of the training grounds where she, Orochimaru, and Jiraiya had once fought to retrieve a pair of bells from their teacher. She almost laughed but caught herself and fell immediately back into the shadows as she spotted Kakashi standing a few yards away at the memorial stone.

_So he still finds time to come here, _she thought. _Maybe this is my chance to get some decent information… But I'll have to be careful. _Tsunade drew farther back into the trees, made a shadow clone, and sent it out onto the training grounds. _If he gets suspicious, I'll just dismiss the clone and leave the village, _she thought. …_I'm ready._

The clone walked up to Kakashi and addressed him formally as the Sixth Hokage. He was still and silent for a few moments before responding.

"If only that were the case," he sighed.

This time the chill ran through to her bones and she was grateful for the mask and cloak that helped to hide her tension. "What do you mean?" she asked slowly.

"Oh, nothing. Forget I said anything," he said lightly.

"R-Right…" she muttered. "Well then—"

"You know," he said suddenly, turning toward her. "It's pretty unusual to see an ANBU like you around anymore. In fact..." He lunged at her and they both crashed to the ground, Kakashi on top of her, holding her arm up behind her back and a kunai against her throat. "ANBU like you don't exist anymore. They haven't for weeks. Who are you?"

The clone vanished and, in the trees, Tsunade turned to run, but Kakashi was already there. "You should probably just come with me," he said.

Tsunade took a step back and immediately Kakashi's raikiri flashed to life. She sprang back and he went after her, chasing her back out of the trees and into the open area of the training ground where his clone was waiting. He rushed at her from both sides and she was forced to duck under the attacks and they closed in on her. From the ground she struck at the shadow clone, landing a solid kick to his stomach. The clone went flying back and the technique was dispelled violently before it had even hit the ground.

_Dammit, that was too much, _Tsunade thought as she jumped back up and faced Kakashi, taking a few quick steps away from him to get a more comfortable distance. He was looking at her strangely and she cursed herself for not considering his sharingan before exposing herself in the first place.

_Can he tell? _she thought nervously. Slowly she reached back and took hold of the sword.

"Acting on your own again, are you?"

Tsunade froze and she saw her own feeling of shock reflected on Kakashi's face as well. Her hand dropped, leaving the weapon sheathed on her back.

"Orochimaru…" Kakashi said, staring just over her shoulder.

Orochimaru walked up next to Tsunade. "Kakashi," he said with a grin. "It's been a while."

"Why are you here?" Kakashi demanded. "What more could you possibly do to this village? You've already taken our Hokage twice."

"Heh, relax," Orochimaru said easily. "I'm only here to stop you from trying to take what's mine." Kakashi shifted his gaze to Tsunade briefly. "You cannot fight me," Orochimaru continued. "Last time, the mere possibility of it left you shaking in fear."

Kakashi reached up steadily and pushed his headband back. "What do you think I've been doing for the past five years?" The colors of his eye shifted and the mangekyō sharingan appeared, its focus locked on Orochimaru. He was no longer smiling

"Maybe I should have killed you then," he muttered.

Kakashi called forth a second raikiri and ran forward, directing his attack only at Orochimaru, but Orochimaru had no intention of letting Kakashi get that close. He had realized the danger his new sharingan posed and decided that it would be best to keep his distance.

With Orochimaru moving so quickly, slipping just out of his reach at every turn, Kakashi could not find an opportunity to use the kamui. He knew it was a risky technique and the toll on his body was too high to use it unless he was sure he could hit his target. He pushed himself to move faster, chasing after Orochimaru, the raikiri screaming in his hand, but when he thought he saw his opportunity to strike, Orochimaru had already read his intentions. He grabbed Kakashi's arm and disrupted the raikiri with his own chakra. It quickly flickered out.

_Now,_ Kakashi thought. He focused the mangekyō sharingan on Orochimaru again, but before the kamui could even begin to form, Orochimaru slammed his foot into Kakashi's diaphragm and sent him flying back. He hit the ground hard and stayed down, coughing as his deflated lungs slowly recovered.

Tsunade went to Orochimaru's side and drew the sword from the sheath on her back.

"If you're not going to fight seriously, you should stay out of it," Orochimaru said to her.

"I'm tired of sitting on the sidelines," she muttered as Kakashi slowly got to his feet. He pulled out a kunai and attacked Orochimaru head-on once again. Orochimaru grabbed the sword from Tsunade and pushed her back just as Kakashi's blade collided with his. Orochimaru smirked as he held off the attack.

"Come to think of it," he said in a smug tone. "You were Sasuke's old teacher, weren't you, Kakashi? You should be proud. He's become very strong." Orochimaru grinned and Kakashi felt his stomach turn.

_Did… Did he already…? _Orochimaru began forcing him back and Kakashi focused again on the situation at hand. _This is my chance, _he thought. He pushed against the sword and started building chakra with his eye. He was vaguely aware of Tsunade pulling four shuriken out from under her cloak, but he did not bother to dodge them. _I can't waste this chance, _he thought as each blade lodged into his arm. He ignored the pain and hooked his foot around Orochimaru's ankle. At the same time, he lunged forward and they both crashed to the ground. Kakashi dropped the kunai and grabbed the sword with both hands, pressing the flat of the blade against Orochimaru's neck with all his strength. Then the air began to distort as the kamui finally formed, targeting Orochimaru's head.

The next thing Kakashi knew, he was flying through the air again, the searing pain in his ribs doubling when he slammed into the ground. Carried by momentum, he skidded and rolled across the grass and into the nearby river. Tsunade watched him go, enjoying a moment of satisfaction even though she knew that she had once again used more strength than discretion allowed. As soon as Kakashi had fallen into the river, she knelt beside Orochimaru and helped him sit up.

"You idiot," she said irritably as soon as she was sure he was all right. "You can't let him get you with that technique. Don't give him the chance to use it."

"What is it?" Orochimaru asked, his hand going to his throat absently as he watched the river.

"He can pull things into an alternate dimension. It's how he got Deidara's arm. You could have lost your head."

A grin slowly formed on Orochimaru's face and his tongue swept out briefly. "What a wonderful technique."


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter Five—Unrelenting Concerns**

It was quiet and dark, deep under the surface of the river where Kakashi was collecting his thoughts.

_If I'm going to stop Orochimaru, I'll have to keep that… ANBU busy. _He carefully pulled the shuriken from his arm, made three shadow clones, and sent them further down the river as he climbed back up onto its bank. Several of his ribs were broken and his right arm was bleeding heavily, but he stood and sped through a flurry of hand signs.

"Water release: great waterfall technique."

The water in the river churned violently, rising up behind Kakashi. Orochimaru and Tsunade stood quickly but even as they did, one of Kakashi's clones appeared between them. Another raikiri flashed in his hand and this time he focused his attack on Tsunade, pushing her back, away from Orochimaru as she tried to avoid the jutsu. Orochimaru was about to chase after them but two more clones grabbed him, locking his arms to his sides and dragging him back.

When the two Sannin were separated, the massive flood of water came crashing down, sweeping Tsunade away into the trees behind the memorial stone. She slammed into a sturdy trunk and fell to her hands and knees as the technique ended and the water ebbed. As she got to her feet again, she pulled a kunai from the bag under her cloak, keeping the large tree at her back. She knew Kakashi often used such techniques as opportunities to sneak up on his opponents and she didn't intend to give him that chance. But even as she thought this, a web of wires suddenly closed around her, binding her to the tree.

Out on the training grounds, one clone was still holding Orochimaru back, but the other had released him in order to produce yet another raikiri.

"That's four already," Orochimaru said with interest, eyeing the field of electricity around Kakashi's hand. "You certainly have been improving, haven't you?"

Kakashi ignored him and moved to strike, but Orochimaru grinned and opened his mouth, releasing several small snakes. They sank their fangs into the clone that was holding him and their venom quickly dispelled the technique, allowing Orochimaru to easily dodge the attack.

"Don't disappoint me, Kakashi," he said, still smiling. "I want to see that technique that gives you so much confidence."

Behind the memorial stone, Kakashi leapt down out of the branches and picked up the kunai Tsunade had dropped, spinning it around his finger by the loop on its handle. "I can read your moves," he said to her. "And I can tell you're transformed, though it threw me that this outfit is real." He carefully reached out and removed her mask. "Who are you?"

Tsunade scoffed. "You're kidding. You really think I'd answer?"

"I'd hoped… Lady Tsunade."

"What?" Tsunade replied seamlessly. She looked around. "There's no one here. What are you trying to pull?"

Kakashi watched her carefully for a few moments. _…Maybe it's not an act, _he thought. _Maybe Orochimaru has all of her memories sealed now. _He tensed as he became aware of the elimination of his last clone. He knew Orochimaru was coming but he was not prepared for him to come up out of the ground. In an instant, Orochimaru cut the wires binding Tsunade, grabbed her, and vanished into the earth once again.

Kakashi saw them surface several yards away near the three posts. The ANBU woman dropped to her hands and knees and Orochimaru paused to say something to her. The woman responded, then Orochimaru left her behind to go after Kakashi again. Kakashi quickly used the substitution technique to put a clone in his place while he took to the trees again to hide. He watched as his clone was driven back by Orochimaru's relentless attacks, and the moment he was sure this would be an adequate distraction, he doubled back for Tsunade. She was still on the ground where Orochimaru had left her, though she seemed to be struggling to her feet.

_It seems like the technique he used took a toll on her. Maybe this is my chance. _

He reached her just as she stood and grabbed her shoulder. There was a dizzying whirl of green and grey as the world flipped and Kakashi suddenly found himself on the ground, flat on his back with the air knocked from his lungs. The fierce pain in his shoulder told him it was dislocated but he struggled to sit up, his stunned lungs and cracked ribs resisting the movement.

Tsunade did not allow him time to recover. She forced him face down into the grass and wrenched his injured arm up behind his back, holding him there as he gasped for breath.

"You're wounded and you've already used a lot of chakra. Give up," Tsunade said.

"Why… did you think I was Hokage?" Kakashi asked, his voice hoarse and quiet.

"Never mind that," she said. "Tell me what happened to the ANBU. Why don't they exist anymore?"

"They're all dead. They were—" He cut off, a quick movement catching his eye. A small snake shot through the grass and Kakashi tried to escape but Tsunade instinctively tightened her hold against his struggles. A sharp, short hiss cut through the air as the snake made its strike, fangs sinking deep into Kakashi's neck.

Tsunade could see the effects immediately. His breathing became uneven and sweat gathered on his face. Tsunade's fingers moved quickly to Kakashi's wrist without conscious thought and she felt a rapid pulse under his already fevered skin. When she glanced back at his face again, she realized he had passed out with his eyes open.

Tsunade quickly stood and took a few steps back, watching the snake crawl slowly over its victim and coil itself on Kakashi's back as though staking a claim.

Orochimaru came to Tsunade's side and the snake suddenly vanished in a white cloud. "Are you finished here?" he asked casually.

"How long does it take?" she said, still watching Kakashi.

"A few hours."

Tsunade nodded and started walking. _I'm sure someone will find him before then. _"There's one more place we have to go." Orochimaru followed her, about to object but Tsunade cut him off. "We need to know who the Hokage is… and why Jiraiya lied to us."

"If you're going to insist on this," Orochimaru started irritably, knowing that she would. "We need to at least make you less noticeable." He grabbed her arm, stopping her before she could leave the training grounds. "This disguise will only make you a target now." He took off her cloak and dropped it in the grass, then helped her remove the armor as well.

"You were listening then," she murmured. "From the start?"

"Of course," he answered.

"Hm." Tsunade watched as Orochimaru performed a quick fire-style technique to destroy the cloak and armor. The flames burned low and thick, producing dark smoke that rose up and streaked the pale grey sky like ashes brushed across a hearth. It would draw attention quickly. She looked at Orochimaru carefully but could not read his intentions.

"We should hurry," was all he said, and it only deepened her curiosity. He obviously knew his actions had given away their position, and destroying the ANBU disguise was not truly necessary, so why had he done it? He took off running without explanation and Tsunade immediately followed. Her curiosity could wait. It had not made her forget her other concerns.


	6. Chapter 6

**Chapter Six—Impatience**

As they neared the Hokage's Residence, they realized that getting close without detection would prove difficult. Scattered all around the building were members of the ANBU Root division.

"We need to get closer," Tsunade said, searching for a weak point in the line of lookouts.

"I don't see why," Orochimaru nearly sighed. "This is answer enough."

Tsunade ignored his comment and started moving again, skirting around the perimeter of the circle of guards and over toward the other side of the building where the window of the Hokage's office could be seen. She squinted, straining to see inside, but they were still too far away and the wind was blowing swirls of snow across her line of vision. "We need to get closer," she said again.

Orochimaru looked around, a scowl set on his face. He was irritated with Tsunade's apparent obsession. He didn't understand it and he was becoming increasingly frustrated with the situation. Wanting nothing more than to expedite their departure, he set his focus on a Root ninja positioned across from the office window and put his hand on Tsunade's shoulder. She glanced back at him then followed his gaze and gave a slight nod.

They crept closer and Orochimaru sped through a brief series of hand signs. The Root ninja froze where she stood, caught in his temporary paralysis technique, and in a flash Tsunade was behind her. She struck at the woman's neck, knocking her out in one swift move, then quickly pulled her around the corner of the building they were standing on. Orochimaru joined her.

"Take the cloak and the mask," he said. "You'll take up her station. We don't want anyone to notice she's missing."

Tsunade did as he said, throwing the black cloak over herself and fitting the mask in place before putting up the hood and stepping back around the corner.

"Well?" Orochimaru said. "Is he there?"

Tsunade stared into the office, but it was empty. "No," she muttered back. Orochimaru saw her tense, about to move, and reached out to grab her arm.

"What are you doing?" he demanded.

"We'll have to go inside."

"No," Orochimaru said firmly. "Tsunade, you know why Jiraiya lied in that letter. You know they made Danzō the Sixth Hokage. It's not worth the risk just to confirm that."

"I don't want to confirm it," Tsunade shot back. "I want to kill him."

Orochimaru recovered from his surprise quickly and a smile crept onto his face. "I can't let you do that," he said.

"Try and stop me." She moved to pull out of his grasp but found herself suddenly unable to move. "What… What did—?" she started to ask, her voice strained, but Orochimaru cut her off, wrenching her back around the corner of the building and shoving her up against the wall.

"You're still impatient." A flash of anger had made his voice a rasping hiss but already he was calming down. Tsunade felt the paralysis lift from her body.

"There's no rush, Tsunade," he continued, now more composed but still holding her to the wall. "This isn't something you can attempt without a plan."

"I really don't see why not," she said stubbornly. "Just why the hell shouldn't I bust down his door right now and kill him? Why am I even bothering with this disguise? I bet no one would stop me if—"

"Tsunade." His voice was low, kept carefully level as he leaned in close to her and whispered, "I will drag you back to Otogakure if I have to. Stop being foolish."

Tsunade scowled behind the Root ninja's mask and grabbed Orochimaru's arm, about to push him away, but again her body froze under the power of Orochimaru's jutsu.

"What do you know about Danzō, Tsunade?" he asked. He did not mistake her silence for defiance. She was hesitating because nothing significant was coming to mind. "Not much, I'm sure," he answered for her, not bothering to hide his smug smirk. "There are things you don't know. He's more dangerous than he looks."

"So what?" Tsunade said, but she was no longer attempting to resist.

Orochimaru slowly released her and took a step back. "So," he said. "We come back with a plan, once we have more information…" He glanced down at the unconscious Root ninja.

Tsunade understood, but she stepped to the corner and looked again into the Hokage's Residence. As she watched, Danzō entered the office and went to the desk. Her fist clenched until her hand shook. Behind her, Orochimaru smiled and held out his hand to her, the Root member already slung over his shoulder. "Let's go," he said.

Without taking her eyes off the window, Tsunade stepped back toward Orochimaru. He wrapped his arm around her waist and pulled her gently to his side. Then all three of them were gone, vanishing into the wall of the building they had been standing on.


	7. Chapter 7

**Chapter Seven—Interrogation**

Ran woke slowly. Her body felt heavy and her mind was in a daze. When she opened her eyes, she was staring at the floor, her head hanging as she sat, tied to a chair in an unfamiliar room. She struggled to recall how she had gotten there, but the last thing she could remember was being on watch outside of the Hokage's Residence. Then her body had frozen suddenly. Then nothing. She groaned quietly and looked up.

"That must be potent," the man in front of her was saying. Ran was suddenly aware of the uncomfortable feeling of a long needle being pulled slowly out of her arm. She turned and saw Tsunade stepping away from her to set the syringe on a tall tray table that looked like it had come from a surgery room, complete with an assortment of needles and scalpels.

"It is," said Tsunade. "Very."

It took a moment for Ran to realize exactly who Tsunade was, but the haze she had felt was quickly clearing. Gradually, everything came together.

"…Shit," Ran murmured.

Tsunade smiled, "I guess she knows about what Danzō tried to do to me."

"You were taken from the village…" Ran said slowly. "I guess that would make you Orochimaru." She swore again and leaned back in the chair. "Well, what is it you want? Information? Go ahead, ask me anything, but—"

"I already know about the seal," Orochimaru said smoothly. "I'll take care of that later. For now, you'll just tell us about the changes in Konoha."

"What happened after I left?" Tsunade asked.

"Heh." Ran glared up at her. "You know, I actually don't feel any real sense of loyalty to anyone but myself, but as much as I don't care what happens to _them_, I want to help _you_ even less."

Orochimaru wasn't about to ask again. He stepped forward, already reaching for the tray of scalpels, but Tsunade stopped him. "Let me take care of it," she said. Curiosity took over and Orochimaru stepped back again to watch. Tsunade walked around Ran and stopped behind her.

"What are you doing?" Ran said suspiciously but Tsunade didn't answer and Ran could not turn her head far enough to see. She snuck a glance at Orochimaru to try to gauge what was happening from his reactions, but he only continued to watch the scene with calm interest, no different than he had been since she had woken up.

Ran jumped slightly when she felt the back of her shirt being lifted up. "What the hell are you doing?" she demanded again. Two fingers pressed on her exposed skin and moved slowly downward along her spine. She squirmed in the chair but was tied too tightly to move much at all. Then the warm hum of chakra rose up under Tsunade's fingers making Ran shiver. "Get off!" she tried again, pulling at the ropes so hard they bit into her skin.

Then a small shock ran through her… and suddenly everything was screaming. The dull aches she'd sustained from the past few days, the burn of the ropes against her skin, the tiny pin prick in her arm where she'd received the injection that woke her and threw her into what must be hell—how else could wounds be screaming?

Orochimaru took another step back from Ran, and Tsunade went to his side. The movement shifted something in Ran's mind enough that she realized her wounds were not screaming. She was. She choked suddenly on the sound and gasped roughly, shaking in her bonds. Her head fell forward and hung there but her eyes remained wide open, staring again at the floor. The pain that wracked her body was impossible. It tore through her out of every miniscule injury, every insignificant ache. She began to shake more violently and the ropes rubbed against her raw skin, the pain magnified several times over by Tsunade's technique. Another shriek tore from Ran's throat.

"What did you do?" Orochimaru asked slowly, watching Ran with more than just casual curiosity now.

"I used an electrical impulse to open a… pathway… in the body that controls how much pain is felt," she explained. "That's one way to put it. The concept is similar to how one might use acupressure to relieve pain… but in reverse."

Orochimaru glanced at Tsunade out of the corner of his eye. "And… where did you learn something like that?"

Tsunade shook her head. "It was just a theory I had."

_An original technique, _Orochimaru thought, a wicked grin spreading across his face as he went back to watching Ran's suffering. _Brand new and wonderful… _

Tsunade stepped up to Ran again. "Tell us what's been happening in Konoha," she repeated firmly.

Ran did not raise her head and did not answer. Her eyes were closed and she was concentrating with her whole being on gathering her chakra. _I can't form any seals, _she thought, desperately attempting to ignore the pain. _But maybe just the change in chakra nature will be enough to cancel it out…_ She almost smiled. _They don't know my chakra is lightning-natured. If the technique is done with electricity…_

Tsunade quickly realized what she was trying to do. "It's not just a change in chakra nature," she said, laughing lightly. "It's medical ninjutsu, and only I can reverse it." She took hold of Ran's forearm and squeezed, gradually increasing the pressure to the point of bruising, but Ran was struggling to cope even before that point. She whimpered, trying to keep quiet. As the pressure increased she threw her head back, her eyes squeezed shut, but still she did not scream.

Her stubbornness was her undoing. She bit her lip hard to stop herself from making a sound and immediately felt the unnaturally fierce shock of pain cut through her. "Stop it!" she screamed, her eyes watering. Tsunade pressed harder and repeated her question but Ran had fallen once again into tortured shrieks.

"Don't break her, Tsunade," Orochimaru said, leaning back against the cool stone wall and crossing his arms. "Bones take too long to fix."

Tsunade immediately released her. He'd stopped her just before that point. She turned to him and said with some surprise, "You're not planning on killing her?"

Orochimaru stared at Ran who had fallen silent once more. After catching her breath, the Root ninja glared up at Tsunade, then at Orochimaru, meeting his eyes fiercely though her body still trembled under the effects of Tsunade's technique.

He smiled and shrugged. "I haven't decided."

"Hm," Tsunade murmured. "I guess I'll have to get creative." She performed a few quick hand signs and chakra formed around her fingertips with a soft hum. Ran's eyes followed the chakra scalpel as Tsunade brought it to her arm.

"S-Stop!" she stammered. "Stop, I'll tell you anything!"

Tsunade stopped, holding the weapon a few centimeters from Ran's skin. "Fine. Tell me what happened after I left," she said again.

Ran was silent a moment too long. Tsunade touched her arm gently and she almost overturned the chair trying to throw herself out of Tsunade's reach.

"STOP!" she screamed, but Tsunade was no longer touching her. The damage was already done. She had used the chakra scalpel to cut into the muscles of Ran's arm without even breaking the skin.

"Make it stop!" Ran pleaded.

"You said you would answer. You said you'd tell me anything."

"I'm sorry! I would! But I can't…"

Tsunade brought the scalpel closer again.

"Tsunade," Orochimaru said calmly.

Immediately, Tsunade stopped and took a step back, looking over her shoulder at Orochimaru.

"It seems Danzō is behind everything. I need to remove the seal or we'll never get answers." He came up beside her. "This technique… Is it reversible?"

"It should be," Tsunade said. She moved behind Ran once again and trailed her fingers down along her spine. Tsunade could feel her shaking as she concentrated her chakra and pushed it into her, closing the gateway she had forced open. Ran choked back a sob and drew in a ragged breath as Orochimaru cut away the ropes holding her in the chair.

"Thank you," she whispered to him. He smirked.

"Stand up," he said.

Slowly, Ran began to push herself up out of the chair, but her left arm folded under her weight and she sucked in a sharp breath, expecting for a moment that the unnatural pain would return to tear through her, but it didn't come. The torn muscle hurt, but it did not compare to what she had experienced under Tsunade's jutsu. She stood carefully.

Orochimaru suddenly grabbed Ran by her hair and jerked her head back. "Show me," he ordered.

Ran immediately grabbed at his hand, trying to extricate it from her hair, but at the same time she opened her mouth wide and stuck out her tongue as far as she could. Orochimaru did not release her as he examined the black markings.

When he did eventually let her go, he started forming hand signs and Ran tensed. Her own hands twitched, a small part of her mind already going over a multitude of ninjutsus, but she hesitated, unsure if they would be necessary.

"Hold still," Orochimaru said. Ran straightened up then, stood before Orochimaru, and waited. He finished the seals and muttered, "Release," before touching her shoulder.

Ran's immediate assumption was that the jutsu had failed. Nothing had happened, at least, nothing noticeable. It was so gradual she almost thought it was unrelated when her body began to grow warm, then uncomfortably hot. Her temperature continued to rise until she felt she couldn't stand it any longer. She dropped to her hands and knees, gasping, her mouth dry. Then the seal dissolved into flames that rushed down her throat and scorched her lungs before dying away. Ran collapsed, clutching her neck and coughing small splatters of dark, partially congealed blood onto the floor.

"Kabuto," Orochimaru said. "Come here."

Tsunade looked up as the door to the room opened and Kabuto slowly entered.

"If you're so interested in what we're doing then make yourself useful and heal her."

Kabuto knelt at Ran's side without a word and tried to pry her hands away from her throat, but she was thrashing wildly, her eyes squeezed shut. Feeling Orochimaru's eyes on his back, Kabuto quickly forced one of her arms down and held it to the floor with his knee. With one hand he pushed back her injured arm as well then began healing her throat. She quickly calmed at the soothing sensation and her body relaxed. When he had finished, Kabuto left her lying on the cool stone to catch her breath. He turned back to Orochimaru.

"You disapprove of her," Orochimaru said, clearly amused.

"Of course not, Lord Orochimaru," Kabuto said simply. "We are always in need of new test subjects."

Ran opened her eyes slightly and looked up at Kabuto's back. _Who… is this guy? _she thought wearily.  
"I'll call for you again if I need you," Orochimaru said dismissively.

Kabuto went to the door but snuck a glance over his shoulder at Tsunade. A smug look settled on his face as he left the room. In the few months after Tsunade had agreed to stay with Orochimaru, Kabuto had come to know of her presence around the main hideout, though the reason behind it had not yet been made clear to him. He quickly came to view Tsunade as a threat—a potential rival for his position as Orochimaru's right hand and medical specialist—and whenever Orochimaru called on him to do something rather than Tsunade, he'd become more arrogant.

Tsunade picked Ran up by her shirt and pushed her back into the chair, irritated by Kabuto's attitude. "You know what I'm about to ask," she said. "Talk."

Ran nodded weakly and swallowed a few times, trying to recover her voice. "D-Danzō… made his move… as soon as you were gone," she said, each word burning her throat. "But the elders wanted to wait for Jiraiya."

"And when he returned he said that he couldn't find me, and that they should elect a temporary Hokage while he continued his search; is that right?" Tsunade asked.

Ran nodded. "I think so, but when he found out that Danzō—" she cut off, coughing weakly and Tsunade crossed her arms, waiting for her to continue. "That he was about to be appointed, Jiraiya said that he would stay… in the village."

Orochimaru barely suppressed a scoff and rolled his eyes.

"Wait, are you sure?" Tsunade said. "Did… Did they make _him _Hokage?"

"They tried to," Ran answered. "But the next day, he left Konoha anyway and… Danzō… was made the Sixth."

"What? That doesn't make sense—"

"It does," Orochimaru said. "If Danzō used kotoamatsukami on him."

"…That's a sharingan technique," Tsunade said, watching Orochimaru carefully. "No, not even that. It's an ultimate genjutsu said to only be used by Shisui Uchiha. What are you saying?"

"I told you already that there's more to Danzō than you know. If he decided he wanted Jiraiya out of the way, the kotoamatsukami would be a good way to do it. Safe, undetectable, and would still leave Jiraiya as a possible tool for his use in the future."

"What does that mean?" she asked defensively, sensing the insult under his words.

"Jiraiya is a fool who would throw his life away for the sake of the village," Orochimaru explained. "Danzō would not want to waste that."

"But what about the letter? Danzō couldn't have made him write it; no one knows we're here."

"You were right before," Orochimaru continued. "Jiraiya lied. If Danzō changed his perception to make Jiraiya accept him as the Sixth, then of course Jiraiya would lie so that we would not attack the village. At least not right away. But that's not really important anymore." He addressed Ran. "What happened to all of the ANBU?"

"Th-They were all recruited… into Root," she said faintly. "Those that weren't were sent out on missions. We were told… to make sure they didn't come back…"

Orochimaru went to Tsunade's side. "If there's anything else you want to know, you should ask now. I don't think she'll last much longer."

"There's something that's been bothering me," Tsunade said, thinking out loud. "Why hasn't anyone done anything about this? He's obviously up to something, and I can't see the village just going along with it. I'm sure Naruto at least would have tried something by now. Or Kakashi…"

"Kakashi…" Ran murmured. "We were told to watch him… He was planning something. I'm sure… he was about to make his move. Maybe he already has…" Her eyes had lost their focus and she swayed slightly in the chair, but Tsunade was no longer paying attention.

"He couldn't have…" she muttered. "Because we fought him. …This is all my fault."

Ran suddenly passed out and fell out of the chair. Orochimaru walked over to her and picked her up, tossing her over his shoulder again. He could see Tsunade's turmoil and left without a word to deliver Ran to Kabuto.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight—Conscience**

Tsunade crept into the bedroom late that night, expecting Orochimaru to be asleep, but he had only just arrived there minutes before. When he asked her where she'd been she only shrugged, but he let it go, more interested in how distracted she seemed to be.

"There's something on your mind," he said. "What is it?"

Tsunade looked away for a few moments, but her troubled expression vanished before she turned back. "Why did you call Kabuto in to heal that Root ninja during the interrogation instead of asking me?"

Orochimaru stared at Tsunade, carefully reading her expression. She seemed very slightly irritated, but there was no longer any sign of how deeply unsettled she'd been when she had come into the room. _So she's avoiding talking about it…_ he thought.

"It was nothing personal," he answered. "I just think it's important that Kabuto understands that there is nothing he gets away with. He's arrogant enough as it is. It's good to remind him now and then that he can't hide anything from me."

Tsunade scoffed. "That's not how he sees it. He assumes you can't trust me and would rather ask him."

"Tsunade…" Orochimaru moved closer to her and dusted his fingers lightly over her cheek. "Don't be jealous," he teased.

"Are you trying to piss me off?" Tsunade said, folding her arms in front of her.

Orochimaru smiled wickedly. "I like when you're angry."

He was disappointed when Tsunade turned away. The troubled expression had returned to her face and he knew now that it was something she could not avoid talking about. She went to the bed and sat on the edge, looking down at her hands.

"Listen, Orochimaru," she began. "I've been thinking… about what that Root ninja told us… and the village…"

Orochimaru immediately lost all humor, a scowl fixed on his face as he watched her.

"I see now that I shouldn't have interfered," she continued. "But I feel responsible for what happened to Kakashi."

"Tsunade, no," Orochimaru said firmly.

"I'll acknowledge that the people of Konoha can take care of this problem themselves, but I need to make this right."

"Make _what_ right?" Orochimaru hissed, his anger flaring. "You're being ridiculous. You wouldn't have left Kakashi if you didn't think he'd survive. Just leave it alone."

"Shut up," Tsunade snapped, glaring up at him. "I _will_ leave it alone. After I do this. I can't be done with Konoha until I get this off my conscience. And I _want _to be done with Konoha. For good. This discussion is over."

"So you're just going to leave again," Orochimaru said, his voice dropping down to quiet, deadly tone.

"Yes, I have to leave again," Tsunade answered impatiently.

"And what if I stop you?"

"You can try," she said, meeting his eyes in challenge. "But you'll regret it."

Orochimaru quickly turned away from Tsunade and left the room and she let out an aggravated groan as she fell back on the bed.

_I hope I don't regret this._


	9. Chapter 9

**Chapter Nine—Mission**

The next morning, Tsunade transformed herself once again and donned the clothes of an ANBU ninja, this time completing the outfit with the mask and black cloak she had taken from Ran. She stocked the small bag on her hip with paper bombs, smoke bombs, and kunai, hoping much of her mission could be completed through stealth rather than force, then packed an extra bag with medical supplies before heading out.

Orochimaru was waiting for her at the entrance to the hideout. She approached him carefully, unsure of his intentions, but he made no move against her.

"I'll expect you back within a week," he said, not looking at her. Tsunade smiled a little behind the mask and nodded when he glanced over at her. She was extremely conscious of the fact that her transformation changed her voice, and she didn't want to speak. She took off running, eager to get the whole mission over with and Orochimaru went silently back into the hideout.

[X]

It took her three days to get to Konoha, but it only took her a few hours to realize that Orochimaru had not followed her as she thought he would. Regret weighed on her mind the whole way to Konoha, but she pushed it away when she finally reached the village wall, fixing her focus firmly on the task ahead of her. She hid herself in the trees and waited for shift changes and other distractions to gradually set paper bombs along the wall near the main gate. At dusk, she triggered them, allowing a short delay, and quickly made her way to the point where the wall met with the mountain.

The bombs began exploding one after another and she used the distraction to slip into the village undetected. Wasting no time, Tsunade carefully moved toward the Hokage's Residence, planting more delayed bombs as she started to get close. In the chaos from the new explosions, she mixed herself in with the Root members surrounding the Residence.

"Hey, you!" she called to one as a small cluster of them took off toward the explosions. "I need backup," she said. "It's a diversion; someone's trying to get to the copy ninja."

She swore silently as three Root ninja turned back, immediately forming a four-man cell to take up the new mission. She needed them to take her to Kakashi, but she had hoped only one would come. Still, she fell into formation behind them as they rushed back toward the Hokage's Residence.

At first, as they entered the Residence and started making their way more carefully through the hallways, she began to worry that they were not leading her to Kakashi at all.

_I'm sure even if they neutralized the poison right away, he'd still be in recovery, _she thought._ His ribs were broken too and it's only been about a week. Why wouldn't he be in the hospital? Unless Danzō wanted to keep a closer eye on him…_

Consumed with her thoughts, she hardly realized where they were headed until they reached the bottom of the stairs.

_These are… the autopsy labs… _She suddenly felt lightheaded, the blood draining from her face as she stared down the long hallway.

_Kakashi…_


	10. Chapter 10

**Chapter Ten—Anger**

Dread settled deep in Tsunade's stomach, but as she followed the three Root ninja down the hallway, the dread quickly turned to burning anger as she imagined what might have happened. She imagined Root ninja finding Kakashi on the training grounds, imagined Danzō giving the order, then having his body brought down to the labs…

Tsunade reached out and grabbed the shoulder of the nearest Root ninja and, before he could even look back at her, slammed him down. Both the floor and his bones broke with a loud crack and the other two turned just in time to see Tsunade launching herself forward to plunge her fist into the next closest Root member. She felt his ribs cave in before he was sent flying down the long hallway, rushing past the lead ninja and crumpling against the far wall.

The lead ninja vanished before Tsunade had even straightened up. He reappeared close behind her with his sword against her throat, but Tsunade immediately grabbed the blade and jabbed her elbow back into his chest. There was a dull crack and he let go of the sword and dropped to his knees, coughing and gasping. Tsunade threw the sword down and turned and he hurried to his feet again, quickly taking a few steps back from her.

"Where is Kakashi?" Tsunade demanded.

Still holding his chest and panting for breath, the Root ninja reached under his cloak and pulled out a kunai, holding it up defensively. Tsunade did not ask again. She ran at him, grabbing his wrist and bending it back with a snap. He cried out but the sound was cut off when she threw him against the wall. He slumped to the ground.

Tsunade glanced quickly around the hallway, searching for signs of movement, but everything was still. In the brief moment of peace, she could suddenly feel the blood dripping from the deep gouge in her palm and she closed her eyes, taking a deep breath as she brought healing chakra to her hand to close the wound. Then she approached the nearest door.

At first she hesitated, trying to prepare herself for what she might see inside.

_I have to get him out of here, _she told herself._ One way or another_. With one last calming breath, she reached out and opened the door.


	11. Chapter 11

**Chapter Eleven—Escape**

Tsunade checked several rooms before she found him. Relief flooded her, but only briefly as she saw that he was clearly both alive and in terrible condition. He had been left lying on a metal autopsy table with an IV feeding into his left hand, and Tsunade could see from the doorway that his breathing was labored and his skin was unnaturally pale. She closed the door carefully and moved around to the other side of the table to take a closer look. She had not been surprised by the bandages around his chest, remembering with considerable guilt the blow that had sent him flying into the river, but she had not expected to see blood-soaked bandages covering the length of his right arm.

"This is…" she trailed off, distracted as she fought to steady her hand and carefully cut the bandages away with a chakra scalpel. The four shuriken wounds she had dealt to him had not been treated at all other than the bandaging and she immediately laid her hands on his arm and began healing the harsh wounds.

She could feel an intense fever just from touching his skin and it made her nervous. As soon as she had finished working on his arm, she went to the IV to check what they were giving him. Her anger returned in a rush. It took all of her willpower to keep from slamming her fist into the wall, reminding herself repeatedly that she needed to be more discrete. She looked again at the IV bag, not wanting to believe what she had seen. Instead of curing the poison, they were merely keeping Kakashi alive by giving him drugs and supplements that would counteract the poison's effects.

"_Danzō_…" she seethed, her fist shaking at her side.

The door to the lab opened and Shizune and a Root ninja burst into the room, but they both paused when they saw Tsunade, surprised to find another Root ninja in the room.

Shizune was the first to react. "Get away from him!" she shouted, launching herself at Tsunade with a scalpel in her hand. She didn't get far. The Root ninja who had come in with her grabbed her quickly and held her back as he addressed Tsunade.

"What are you doing here?" he asked, "What happened to those three in the hall?"

"There's an intruder. He might be headed here so I was sent to guard the copy ninja, but I didn't see anyone in the hall when I came in… What's her problem?" she asked, nodding toward Shizune.

"Just emotional," he answered. "Better to just stay back from him." He nodded toward Kakashi. "We're only supposed to make sure she doesn't do more than Lord Danzō permits."

Tsunade glanced again at Kakashi. _I was right. Danzō is delaying his recovery on purpose. _She stepped away from the table and the Root ninja let go of Shizune who threw a glare back at him before going to Kakashi's side. She noticed immediately that the bandages had been removed from his arm and Tsunade saw her hesitate, but she said nothing and began her examination.

The Root ninja stayed in the doorway, watching her, but the moment he looked away to glance around the hall, three poison needles shot into his shoulder. He was knocked out instantly, but before he had even hit the ground, Shizune had lunged again at Tsunade, scalpel in hand. Tsunade caught her wrist and held her off.

"What the hell are you really doing in here, Root?" Shizune demanded, struggling unsuccessfully to force her hand closer to Tsunade's throat. "Did your master finally get sick of pretending he doesn't want Kakashi out of the way? What did you do to him?"

"What does it matter?" Tsunade said.

"I won't let you hurt him anymore!"

Tsunade ducked to the side just in time to avoid the poison needles Shizune had spit at her. She struck back quickly, knocking Shizune out in one blow before she even knew what had happened, and caught her before she could fall.

"You really never were any match for me, Shizune," she said, laughing quietly, but voices in the hallway made her fall quickly silent.

Three more Root ninja had found the others left unconscious in the hall. One spotted the open door and ran ahead, but what she saw inside stopped her in her tracks. Another Root ninja lay in the doorway and the table was empty, the IV tube swinging from its bag. No one else was there.

The other two Root ninja ran up beside her. "Lord Danzō… is not going to be happy about this," she muttered.


	12. Chapter 12

**Chapter Twelve—Without Looking Back**

It took Tsunade several hours to make her way back out of the village with both Shizune and Kakashi. By the time she had made it to the cave system outside of Konoha where she had once met with Orochimaru, Kakashi's condition had worsened drastically. Without the medication from the IV, Tsunade had to keep him alive with medical jutsu as they traveled, but she knew what he needed was waiting down one of the offshoots in the mountain where she had hidden her bag of medical supplies on her way to Konoha.

As soon as they were safely hidden in one of the small caves, Tsunade took off the ANBU mask and released her transformation to conserve chakra before quickly setting to work on Kakashi by the light of a small fire set in the corner of the cavern. She knew exactly the type of poison Orochimaru's snakes used and had brought an antidote with her, but she also knew that substantial damage had already been done. After she administered the antidote, she immediately began treating him with medical jutsu until his fever finally went down and his condition stabilized.

He was still unconscious as she carefully covered him with the ANBU cloak and she didn't expect that he would wake soon, so she stood and stretched her stiff limbs before wandering back out into main tunnel. Pale light filled the opening in the mountain and she went to the ledge to look out at the sun rising through the trees. She had already been gone for four days and it would take her three more to get back to the sound village.

_If I want to make it back in time, I'll have to leave soon, _she thought. She glanced back down the tunnel. _Shizune could wake up at any time…_

She went back into the cave and gathered her things, then checked Kakashi's condition one last time before picking up the ANBU mask and heading out. As she left, she broke the mask and left the pieces behind in the forest, then took off running toward the sound village.


	13. Chapter 13

**Chapter Thirteen—New Recruit**

The week dragged on slowly for Orochimaru, and with each day that passed he became more restless. He started working on anything and everything he could think of to keep his mind occupied, and hardly bothered to sleep until he was at the point of exhaustion. On the last day, he took Kabuto with him and headed deep into the hideout.

"As far as I can tell, she hadn't tried anything," Kabuto was saying. "Actually, she just seems bored."

"Have you found out anything about her yet?" Orochimaru asked.

"No. It's strange. She seems willing to talk to me, but not about anything significant. Whenever I try to delve deeper she just asks to talk to you."

Orochimaru gave a small laugh as they neared the door but before they entered, Kabuto tried once more to dissuade him.

"Lord Orochimaru, you really don't need to bother with something like this. If you'll just allow me to—"

"_Kabuto_," Orochimaru said sharply. "I want to talk to her. Your jealousy is getting irritating." Kabuto fell silent immediately and Orochimaru opened the door.

Inside the room, Ran was lying on a bed, quickly weaving hand signs. As soon as Kabuto saw this, he rushed forward, but Orochimaru held out his arm and stopped him. His eyes were locked on Ran and he watched her carefully as she formed seal after seal. A minute later she stopped and sat up.

"You do this every day, don't you," Orochimaru said slowly. "How long does it take you?"

"About five minutes."

Orochimaru paused for a few moments then muttered, "about 80 jutsu."

Ran was taken aback. "What?"

"Assuming you maintained that speed and only practiced A rank jutsu or higher, you should have gone through about 80 jutsu. Impressive," he said, smiling.

"Don't patronize me," Ran snapped at him. "I know you've mastered hundreds of jutsu."

Orochimaru laughed. "You haven't tried to escape. I see now it's because you want something from me." Ran watched him suspiciously but he only shrugged. "That's fine. I'll let you stay for now." He turned to leave but stopped when Ran got to her feet, glaring at him.

"I told you before, I'm not loyal to anyone but myself. Don't just expect me to—"

Orochimaru turned back again and Ran froze. The scowl fell away, replaced with wide-eyed terror and she sank to her knees, her body shaking.

Kabuto was watching Orochimaru, an excited smile on his face, but even he could not keep from trembling, his body perceiving the danger his mind did not acknowledge.

"I don't need your loyalty," Orochimaru said to Ran. She did not react and Orochimaru left, Kabuto following after only slight hesitation.

They didn't get very far down the hallway before a girl with bright red hair ran up to them.

"Lord Orochimaru," she said. "Lady Tsunade is back."

Orochimaru kept walking without acknowledging her and she stood aside to let him pass. Kabuto stopped. He was glaring at her and when she noticed this, she crossed her arms and glared back.

"What do you think you're doing, Kotone?" he snapped at her as soon as Orochimaru had disappeared around the corner. "Get back to work."

He headed off down a different hallway and Kotone stuck her tongue out at his back before heading off toward the labs.


	14. Chapter 14

**Chapter Fourteen—The Final Test**

"So," Orochimaru said as he stepped into the dim light of the large atrium. "Have you 'made things right?'"

"Yes," Tsunade said resentfully, mimicking his tone.

"Hm." He turned to leave again and Tsunade sighed.

"Orochimaru, wait," she said, going over to him. "I understand why you're angry." She sighed again, reluctant to go on. "I've gone back on my word," she said quietly. "You were understanding when I first wanted to go back to Konoha and I took advantage of that. I know just saying that I'm done with them for good… can't mean much to you now. I just don't know what I can do to convince you—"

"Tsunade—" Orochimaru moved toward her suddenly. He grabbed her wrist and she reflexively pulled away but he held tight and would not let her move. Then he reached into the bag at her hip and drew out a kunai. "There has always been a way for me to make you mine."

Tsunade did not know how to react. She watched, unconsciously holding her breath, as he brought the blade up and cut one of the straps of the ANBU armor. She tried again to pull back from him as he touched the blade to her shoulder, but he held her tighter and carefully sliced through the high-necked shirt, exposing her skin. He dropped the kunai and it hit the floor with a loud, echoing clatter. Then he waited, watching her face for a reaction.

"Your curse mark…" Tsunade said quietly, not taking her eyes off of him.

"Yes." He let go of her wrist but did not move away, eyes still locked on hers. "You could stop me," he said. "You're strong enough, Tsunade. You could run."

Tsunade took a step back. "You're… You're really going to—"

"Yes," he said, advancing on her again. "And once I do, you won't ever be able to leave."

Tsunade backed away from him. Anger had wiped away the surprise on her face. "That's if I even survive, isn't that right?" she said, her voice low. "Tell me, Orochimaru, how many of your subjects actually live through this? Ten percent? Am I just one more experiment now? That's _not_ why I came here, and if that's all you want with me now then I guess I made a mistake."

She turned to leave but stopped when Orochimaru spoke, as calm as ever. "What if I told you that I've perfected the seal? That I can guarantee your safety…" He stepped up to her once again and stroked her cheek lightly with the back of his hand. "And that I would never even consider doing this to you if that were not the case," he said softly. "…Would you agree?"

Tsunade hesitated. "…Have you?" she asked.

"Yes." He moved closer to her and this time she did not back away. She was still wearing her hair down from her discarded disguise and Orochimaru ran his fingers through it slowly, sweeping it back from her neck.

"Tell me why you want to do this," she said, her voice steady despite her nervousness.

Orochimaru met her eyes. "Because I want you with me. Always."

Tsunade closed her eyes and took a few calming breaths. "Orochimaru… I trust you. If you say this is safe… and this is what you want… I'll believe you." She looked him in the eye with determination. "Do it."

"Tsunade…" Orochimaru said, surprise getting the better of him. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. I want to be with you. Always."

Orochimaru relaxed, the familiar smirk settling back onto his face, and he trailed a finger lightly down Tsunade's neck. "Mm, Hime…" His other hand slipped down to her waist and pulled her closer and he kissed her intently. "You're very brave," he whispered. "But I'm not going to do it."

"What?"

"I lied, Tsunade," he said. "It's not safe, and I would never put you at risk like that. I just needed to know that you were serious about staying this time."

At first, Tsunade's face was blank with surprise. Then she closed her eyes and smiled, shaking her head. "I should have known," she said, laughing lightly.

He took her hand and led her out into the hallway. "Come with me, Hime. You must be tired and I want to hear about how it went in Konoha."

Tsunade smiled. "You just want to hear about how one person threw Konoha into chaos, severely injured a bunch of Root members, and stole two people out of the village right under Danzō's nose, all in the span of twelve hours."

"Really?" Orochimaru grinned and slid his arm around Tsunade's waist. "Mm, Hime… I think you'll do just fine here."

[X]

**Return to Konoha—Author's Note**

So that's Return to Konoha. I have my complaints about how this one turned out, but I'll keep them to myself. Suffice to say I don't feel particularly proud of this story on the whole, but it does set up one or two things that matter for the next one.

And speaking of the next one…! (eager to move on lol) The next story in this series will be another chapter story, and it should be longer than Return to Konoha, but I don't have a good idea of how long exactly. The working title is "Blood and Crystals" and, knowing me, that will just end up being what I call it. Damn, I suck at titles .

The end is near! There are only two stories left in this series, both of the longer, chapter variety, and I'm sticking to that. No more unplanned stories popping up. I've been away from my original work for FAR too long and I really miss it. It's time for me to move on. Still, no need to panic… I'll probably continue posting for a good YEAR just to cover all the chaptery goodness I have in store for you all with these last two stories ;)

I also need to note here that Kotone is not my character. She belongs to the one for whom this series is being written and she's gotten inextricably mixed up in the story. This note is simply to clarify that credit for her character design does not go to me (just like all of the Naruto characters, etc.).

Now, before I wrap up this unusually long author note, I feel like I should apologize. I think a few people were really hoping for there to be a lot more Kakashi at the end there but it just wasn't in the cards. Kakashi has been one of my absolute favorite characters since I first started watching the show but the whole Sannin fanfiction thing is just something else entirely for me. So yeah, sorry about that, you guys. I didn't mean to disappoint.

Anyway, thanks so much for your continued interest. Your moral support keeps me going!

~DS


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